Best practices for teacher induction

The NTC has recently released its Teacher Induction Program Standards for free use. These standards include the robust mentoring program that was a model for JEA Mentoring.

With a nation-wide teacher shortage looming on the horizon, educators should be asking if there is a set of best practices for effectively bringing new teachers into our schools. Is there a best way to bring teachers into the profession?

The question has been answered affirmatively by an old friend of JEA Mentoring, the New Teacher Center of Santa Cruz, California, and they have recently made these standards available to everyone. It is no surprise to us that mentoring makes up the heart of these standards.

The NTC’s long running teacher induction program has guided the induction of 1 of every ten new teachers nationally, and its work lies at the heart of JEA Mentoring. I have linked Education Week’s article announcing the release here.

One excerpt from the Education Week’s story: “The NTC’s approach has been backed up by research—a recent independent study found that if new teachers are paired with high-quality, trained mentors and receive frequent feedback for two years, their students outperform their peers in both English/language arts and mathematics. Those students received the equivalent of up to five months of additional learning. Another study found that new teacher retention in one N.C. district increased by 31 percent after two years of NTC support.”

A PDF of Teacher Induction Program Standards in posted on our Resources page.